Bike Shifting in NR Colony

NR Colony is an old, settled part of south Bangalore, and the packers page describes a household arrangement that's common here: three related families on three floors of one building, one of them moving. Everyone shares the gate, the stairs and the parking. Moving one floor's worth of things out without upsetting the other two is the delicate part.

The bike is right in the middle of it. In a shared family house, the ground floor parking holds every family's vehicles: a car or two, three or four scooters, perhaps an old motorcycle that belonged to a grandfather. Over the years, everyone has learned an unspoken order: whose scooter goes nearest the gate, who parks behind whom, who moves first in the morning.

When one family leaves, its bike's spot frees up, and that changes the order for everyone.

Agree the slot before the day. Talk with the relatives staying behind about who will use the freed space. Perhaps the family with a new car needs it, or the parents want their scooter nearer the gate. Settle it before moving day, so nobody is rearranging vehicles on the morning.

Sort out shared bikes. In a joint household, a bike is sometimes used by more than one family. A nephew may ride his uncle's scooter, or an old motorcycle may be nobody's in particular. Decide which bikes go with the departing family and which stay, and check whose name each RC is in.

Clear the morning's parking. On the day, the departing bike has to come out of a crowded parking space. Ask the relatives to shift their vehicles first thing, or leave the departing bike beside the gate overnight.

Keep the household's common things. A shared bike cover, a tyre pump, a chain lock used by everyone: agree what stays.

Check the bike's own condition before it leaves. A bike that has stood in the family's parking for years may have been knocked by a cousin's scooter or scraped by a car door. Note any marks with the crew at collection, so nobody later wonders whether the move caused them.

Be considerate about timing. With relatives living on the other floors, the carrier's arrival affects them too. Avoid early mornings if a parent is resting, and avoid the school rush if children live upstairs.

In NR Colony, the crew work quietly, since other families go on living in the house. A survey settles a single written price, and from the gate onward the bike is in our care.

The NR Colony packers page deals with one family leaving a shared house. On this page, the subject is the bike that leaves a gap in the family's parking.

If the departing family is moving close by, as many do, the bike may simply be ridden over. That's often the easiest answer, and it keeps the family's goodbye low key.

And if the family is leaving Bangalore, the relatives may be asked to keep an eye on things at the old house. Make sure nothing of yours, a helmet or a charger, is left in the shared parking for them to find later.

Mind the elders' feelings as well. In a house where a family has lived together for decades, a bike leaving can be a small, visible sign that the household is splitting. Some grandparents like to see the grandchildren's scooter go; others would rather not be at the gate. Ask.

And keep the gate key arrangement clear. If the departing family held a gate key, hand it back to whoever manages the house on the day the bike leaves.

Finally, leave the parking tidy. Sweep the spot, take the oil stained mat if it's yours, and remove any hook or stand you fitted. The family will be parking there for years.

An electric scooter in a shared house may charge from a socket on someone else's meter. Settle that before leaving, and take the charger. If the scooter stays with relatives, show them how to charge it. Let us know the model when booking.